Rockets-Lakers Preview

By ELI KABERONPosted Feb 18 2014 2:13PM

Dwight Howard had an up-and-down 2012-13 season for the Los Angeles Lakers, highlighted by injuries, internal disagreements and a first-round playoff exit.

Howard, who eventually turned down a lengthy extension offer from the Lakers, faces his former team in Los Angeles for the first time Wednesday night when the Houston Rockets visit Staples Center.

The All-Star center, who signed an $88 million deal with the Rockets in the offseason, has averaged 17.5 points and 11 rebounds in splitting two previous games with the Lakers this season - both of which came in Houston.

The Rockets (36-17) come out of the All-Star break riding a season-best seven-game win streak. Howard has been the catalyst during the surge, averaging 24.7 points on 60.0 percent shooting to go with 12.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocks.

After clashing with guard Kobe Bryant and coach Mike D'Antoni a season ago over his role in the Lakers' offense, Howard has shown no such discontent in Houston.

"We enjoy each other," Howard said of his current teammates. "I'm happy to be here. The guys are happy to have me here and we're just having a lot of fun. I think the biggest thing for our team is that we're free, we're able to have fun with each other, but when we step between the lines we know it's serious."

The Rockets, who have won six of their last seven away from home, will be opening a five-game trip that also features Western Conference playoff contenders Golden State, Phoenix and the Los Angeles Clippers.

"There's going to be some tough games," said guard James Harden. "We're on a roll right now but it's going to be some tough games when we get back and hopefully we can string (some wins) together."

A major key to its 6-1 road mark since Jan. 11 has been Houston's outside shooting. The Rockets have made 36.8 percent of their 3-point attempts over their last seven road games, a higher percentage than what the team shoots at home on the season (35.5).

The Lakers (18-35) have been struggling of late at Staples Center, losing seven straight and 13 of their last 15 home games.

Los Angeles went winless on a three-game homestand heading into the All-Star break after dropping the finale 107-103 against Oklahoma City on Feb. 13 despite a solid game from Kendall Marshall. The point guard scored 14 points, matched a career best with 17 assists and set a career high with seven rebounds.

However, the Lakers shot 59.1 percent (13 of 22) at the free throw line, one of their worst performances this season, and wasted a 10-point lead entering the fourth quarter.

This game will be the last for both teams before Thursday afternoon's trade deadline, and the Lakers are the more likely of the two to make a move. Trade talk has surrounded veteran center and leading scorer Pau Gasol most of the season.

"As a general manager, we're always looking a year or two or three down the road," Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak said. "Our approach going into this deadline might be a little different than it's been in year's past. We may look to shore up a position going into the playoff run. It may not be. But certainly I'm respectful and mindful of our record."

The Lakers have won six of their last seven against the Rockets in Los Angeles.

Copyright 2014 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Rockets beat Lakers 134-108 for 8th straight win

By JOE RESNICKPosted Feb 20 2014 6:18AM

LOS ANGELES (AP) There was no warm welcome back. No video montage of highlights that brought back the good old days.

That didn't keep Dwight Howard from thoroughly enjoying his first road game against the team he left as a free agent after one tumultuous season.

Howard had 20 points and 13 rebounds for the Houston Rockets in 134-108 rout of the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night that extended the Rockets' winning streak to eight games.

"We're always going to have fun when we're playing basketball. We love what we're doing," Howard said. "We're playing great, and we just want to have as much fun as possible."

The streak is Houston's longest since a franchise-record, 22-game run in 2007-08 under Rick Adelman. James Harden scored 11 of his 29 points in the final 1:25 of the third quarter and added 11 assists.

Wesley Johnson scored 24 points for Los Angeles, and Kendall Marshall had 20 points and 16 assists. The injury-ravaged Lakers remained tied for last place in the Western Conference with Sacramento at 18-36.

"The Lakers have always found a way to get back to the top, and they will one day. But I can't focus on the Lakers," Howard said. "My focus is on the Rockets and what we're trying to accomplish."

It was Howard's third game against the Lakers since leaving the organization to sign a four-year, $88 million contract with the Rockets in July. Los Angeles offered the eight-time All-Star and three-time Defensive Player of the Year a five-year, $118 million deal to stay.

"He's having a great year there, but I felt he did the same thing here," Lakers guard Jodie Meeks said. "The numbers are almost identical. He had a pretty good year last year - and for whatever reason, some people didn't think so."

Howard played 76 games last season, averaging 17.1 points and a league-best 12.4 rebounds despite residual pain from back surgery - compounded by a torn labrum in his right shoulder.

Howard's only season in Tinseltown ended with a whimper - a four-game sweep by San Antonio in the first round of the playoffs, when he was ejected from what would turn out to be his final game as a Laker for protesting a non-call.

The sellout crowd booed Howard every time he touched the ball. It began during warm-ups about 45 minutes before the game, after a few of his ex-teammates came over to say hello at midcourt. The fans then drowned out public address announcer Lawrence Tanter before he could get Howard's name out of his mouth during the introductions.

Howard received a technical foul just 78 seconds into the game after dunking on Chris Kaman.

"I think it was more emotion than anything," Howard said. "I don't know if the ref thought I was talking to Kaman, but one of my friends was sitting courtside and I was just looking at him and having some fun. It wasn't nothing toward the Lakers or any of their guys. I was just talking trash to one of my friends."

Less than 90 minutes before tipoff, the Lakers dealt guard Steve Blake to the Golden State Warriors for reserve guards Kent Bazemore and MarShon Brooks. Coach Mike D'Antoni was still talking about Blake in the present tense during his pregame session with reporters before the deal was consummated, and the trade left him with only eight players in uniform and his 28th different starting lineup due to injuries to Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Steve Nash, Xavier Henry and Nick Young.

Jordan Farmar returned to the lineup after missing four games because of a sore hamstring, and Meeks was back in action after sitting out five games with a sprained right ankle.

Harden helped the Rockets build a 64-43 halftime lead with 15 points in the first game for both teams following the All-Star break. Howard added 14 points and 10 rebounds - the 10th time this season that he had a double-double by halftime.

NOTES: The Rockets were 18 for 35 on free throws, after attempting more than 50 in each of the previous two meetings. ... Bryant hasn't played in any of the games against Houston since he and Howard became ex-teammates. In fact, he's played in only six games altogether. The season series concludes on April 8 at Los Angeles. ... The Lakers have lost seven games by margins of at least 20 or more points. ... Harden scored at least 30 points in each of his previous four games against the Lakers. ... The Rockets began a five-game road trip that will end right back here at Staples Center against the Clippers.

Copyright 2014 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Notebook: Rockets 134, Lakers 108

THE FACT: The Rockets extended their winning streak to an NBA-best eight games while the Lakers saw their franchise record for home losses pushed to eight.

THE LEAD: The Lakers (18-36) became even lighter Wednesday, dealing backup point guard Steve Blake to the Warriors just a couple hours before their game against visiting Houston. The Rockets (37-17), well, their confidence has never been higher as Dwight Howard returned for his first game against the Lakers at Staples Center -- where he spent last season -- and he took no mercy on L.A., finishing with 20 points and 13 rebounds to lift the surging Rockets to a 134-108 victory.

QUOTABLE: "Dwight played really well. He had great energy, he rebounded the ball real well, was blocking shots and made great decisions in the post."-- Houston coach Kevin McHale

THE STAT: The Rockets set season highs for points, field goals (52), field goals attempted (102) and second-chance points (26).

TURNING POINT: This game likely got away from the Lakers as far back as July, when Howard announced he was leaving L.A. to sign with the Rockets. Howard was greeted with a loud chorus of boos and clever comments as early as pregame warm-ups, when the arena was only about 25 percent full. The chilly reception continued right up to the start of the game, when Howard scored the first six points for Houston, and the frustration for L.A. fans only escalated as the Lakers tumbled to a 21-point halftime deficit.

HOT: Houston guard James Harden put the final touches on the Lakers by scoring 14 of his 29 points in the third quarter, sinking all four of his 3-point attempts to stretch the lead to 104-75 and give him the rest of the night off. Harden would probably like to face the Lakers every week as he's averaging 32.6 points in the last five games against LA. Both sides also received solid performances from their starting small forwards. Chandler Parsons produced his second straight 18-point game and is shooting 10-for-20 from beyond the arc in the month of February. Wes Johnson is about the only good thing happening for the Lakers these days. He scored 24 points on 9-for-13 from the floor and contributed a team-high seven rebounds. Johnson, one of only two Lakers to appear in all 53 games this season, has scored at least 15 points in six of the last seven games after hitting that mark five times in the first 46 games.

QUOTABLE II: "I thought for the guts of the game, in the first five minutes of that third quarter and the first half, we came out and got a big lead. We just walked it in after that."-- Kevin McHale

NOT: When the Lakers begin cutting loose players in the offseason, at least they can say they gave everyone plenty of opportunities. Rookie forward Ryan Kelly likely never would have left the D-League if L.A. didn't suffer so many injuries, but he made his 12th start of the season against the Rockets and barely made a whisper, finishing with 13 points on 4-for-14 shooting and collecting just three rebounds in 29 minutes. After a couple good performances in back-to-back games earlier this month against the Cavaliers and 76ers, Kelly has combined to shoot 7-for-26 in the last four.

GOOD MOVE: The crowd never got off Howard's back but he kept them from getting too excited, producing 14 points and 10 rebounds in the first half for the 10th first-half double-double of the season. Howard also did his part to play along, joining the crowd in chants directed toward him and generally acting good-natured about the ribbing.

BAD MOVE: Lakers center Chris Kaman, one of those expected to be dealt before the trade deadline Thursday at 3 p.m. ET, didn't do much to market his value. He was torched by Howard right from the start en route to shooting 2-for-9 in the first half with two rebounds in 16 minutes. Meanwhile, the Rockets helped themselves to 14 first-half offensive rebounds while owning a 34-13 overall edge on the glass. Kaman made his only two field goals of the second half but, by then, it was too little too late.

NOTABLE: Both teams combined to shoot better than 50 percent from 3-point range. The Rockets finished 18-for-35 and the Lakers at 14-for-27. ... Lakers point guard Kendall Marshall finished with 20 points and 16 assists, giving him seven games with 14 assists or more this season, which is tied for the NBA lead. ... The 26-point loss was the worst home loss to the Rockets in L.A. franchise history.